(MENAFN) Tragedy struck in Uvalde County, Texas, as two migrants lost their lives and another 12 were injured after being trapped in a train car. According to Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, a total of 17 individuals were stuck in the container, including 15 men and two women. The victims who lost their lives were identified as two men from Honduras, as reported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations.

The incident was first reported through a 911 call at 3:50 p.m. by an unknown third-party caller. The caller advised that several immigrants were "suffocating" inside a Union Pacific train. The train was stopped two to three miles outside of Knippa, Texas, by the U.S. Border Patrol, who responded to the emergency call.

Seven of the migrants who were hospitalized after the incident remain in an unknown condition. The Texas Department of Public Safety has launched an investigation into the incident.

The Homeland Security Investigations team is conducting a separate investigation into the case of human smuggling. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressed his condolences in a tweet, thanking the Border Patrol agents who responded to the scene and the Homeland Security Investigations agents who supported the investigation.

Mayorkas further stated that the tragic incident highlights the dangers that migrants face during their journey to the United States. The investigation into the human smuggling case remains ongoing.

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